This spectacular NZ native grows wild on the Chatham Islands where it thrives very near the coast in a variety of places where is gets covered by sea spray. It has been introduced to the mainland islands of New Zealand and then to the rest of the world. On the Chatham’s it is becoming extinct due to foraging by animals.
Fortunately it is so spectacular that gardeners in New Zealand and around the world want to grow it that will be able to survive into the future. Hopefully work will be done in the Chatham’s to protect its natural habitat and it can once again grace the shores.
It belongs to a monotypic genus - that is it is the only species in the genus Myosotidium. Myosotidium means resembling Myosotis (the garden Forget-me-Not) and hortensia is Latin for Hortus or garden. Botanically it is described as a stout succulent herb, with large ribbed leaves on a succulent leaf stem or petiole.
Gardeners would describe it as a spectacular native plant that has rhubarb like large leaves up to 60mm tall and forming a clump about a metre across with a stout rootstock.. Flowering in early spring it produces large heads up to 150mm across of blue, blue and white or white forget-me-not like flowers. A pink form may exist. The white form is named Myosotidium hortensia ‘Alba’.
It is easily grown in a sunny or partly shady part of the garden provided it has plenty of moisture and lots or organic matter. It loves animal manure. Its natural habitat is the seashore just above high tide so exposure to sun, salt laden winds and high tides is important to mote. Gardeners have been known to sprinkle plants with sea water.
The large leaves grow in spring and protect a tightly formed flower head. This flower head slowly grows outward and larger until it bursts into bloom in in mid spring. It makes a wonderful mass display as a groundcover.